Faria K.

Major/Minor

Junior, BS in Mechanical Engineering; Concentration in Design

Completed Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) at the Boston, Massachusetts Project Center.

An IQP is often called life-changing by WPI students, requiring teams to delve into a problem that matters to real people.

Project

Faria and the other two members of her team assessed vulnerabilities and emergency power capabilities in wastewater sectors in Massachusetts. Through data collection and interviews, the team created a pamphlet and map prototype of vulnerable facilities to help their sponsor, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), determine the facilities that require the most assistance and decrease the amount of untreated water released into the environment during a power outage.

Reflection

Having grown up right outside of Boston, it was especially rewarding for Faria to see the impact she was bringing to her hometown. She also appreciated the opportunity to apply her knowledge to real-world problems throughout her project work.

She and her teammates had a shared passion for their project, which was evident through their collaboration, and strong connections throughout the experience, something Faria says she valued and hopes to continue in the future.

Hometown

Allston, MA

Major/Minor

BS in Mechanical Engineering; Concentration in Design

Project Advisor(s)

Seth Tuler

Project Sponsor

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Achievements

Knowing how hard I can push myself to do the best I can in order to succeed in my courses.
Establishing new, valuable connections through friends and professors.

Aspirations

Working at a company to solve problems in the local community.

More About Faria's Project

More About the Boston Immersion

Typical workweek schedule: Boston

6:30 AM

Wake up and get ready to head to Union Station.

7:45 AM

Take the express train to Boston.

9:30 AM

Arrive and sign in at the MassDEP office.

10:30 AM

Meet with sponsors to discuss current progress on the project.

12:00 PM

Have lunch with the team at the food court below the MassDEP office.

1:00 PM

Arrive back at the office and complete some data compiling on information for facilities.

2:00 PM

Visit New England Aquarium and explore Quincy Market area with teammates.

4:20 PM

Catch the train back to Worcester from South Station.

5:50 PM

Head back to campus to unwind.

7:00 PM

Have dinner with the team and discuss plans for the next day in Boston.

8:00 PM

Relax or hang out with other friends around campus.

10:00 PM

Go to bed to wake up early the next morning.

Typical weekend schedule

9:00 AM

Wake up and make breakfast.

10:30 AM

Arrive on campus, meet up with teammates, and work on final paper.

1:00 PM

Head to the dining hall for lunch.

2:30 PM

After discussing the importance of having a pet, take a break at the Worcester Animal Shelter to play with kittens.

4:00 PM

Return to campus and continue working on paper.

7:30 PM

Head to dinner with the team.

8:30 PM

Finish up edits on the paper for the day.

9:30 PM

Go back to the apartment and relax before bed.

Participating in a waste water treatment plant tour as part of the project field work

Taking a guided walking tour of Boston with all of the students from the Boston Project Center

Commuting on the train to the Boston Project Center with teammates

Conducting a kick off team meeting in Worcester for the project

Talking with sponsor contacts at the MassDEP office for the final project presentations

Participating in a waste water filtration plant tour as part of the project field work

Joining an architectural boat tour of Boston with all the students from the Boston Project Center

Enjoying a pizza party in Worcester with Boston Project Center students at the completion of the IQP

WPI's project-based curriculum has shown me that I really appreciate getting to work on projects because I get to use my knowledge learned in class to apply it to real-world problems.